May 2024 Newsletter

Children and Young People Remote Asthma Management Challenge SBRI Phase 1 Winners Announced

The Phase 1 Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) selection process for the Children and Young People Remote Asthma Management Challenge, funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office has been successfully completed. The Challenge has been managed and administered by NHS Lothian, on behalf of the Health Innovation South East Scotland (HISES) Hub. The challenge launched in October 2023 and attracted a wide range of innovative proposals from companies across the country with 2 innovative projects being funded to collaborate with Test Bed Research Partners. After a rigorous evaluation process, we are delighted to reveal that Red Star and QIoT, have been selected to move forward to Phase 1 of the competition.

Pogo Digital Healthcare receives Public Sector Innovation prize at Digital Tech Awards

Pogo Digital Healthcare were handed the Public Sector Innovation award at the recent ScotlandIS 2024 Digital Tech Awards ceremony in Glasgow. In a competitive field Pogo Digital Healthcare stood out as a compassionate organisation, with the judges noting how Pogo worked closely with partner organisations and patients to ensure that their solution met the needs of all stakeholders. Pogo Digital Healthcare designed their platform Tailored Talks in partnership with NHS Lothian and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, and it is currently being used to support people living with Long Covid in the Lothian region. The platform provides personalised information to each individual and provides access to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line for further support.

NHS Scotland Event 2024 – Registration now open

Registration is now open for the NHS Scotland Event 2024, which will take place on Monday 10th June at the SEC in Glasgow. The theme for this year’s Event is Planning for the Future: Delivering Health and Care Services through Innovation and Collaboration. The Event will examine how our health and care services are working to integrate the government’s core priorities into the services they offer. This will include examples which focus on Public Health, prevention, and innovation. The Event will also provide the opportunity for colleagues to share their experiences, explore new ways of working, celebrate success and work together to deliver the highest quality person-centred, safe, and effective integrated care for every individual in Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator – Closing soon!

The University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator is open for applications for the 2024/25 cohort. Deadline for applications is 19th May 2024. The next AI Accelerator programme will be focused around 3 key themes:

• AI for climate change
• AI for health
• AI for social benefit

Register to attend Intelligent Systems for Frailty Interactive Workshop for Industry

Ensuring that healthcare professionals, such as carers and therapists, are able to set up and proficiently use the technology is vital for enabling the effective use of emerging solutions enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic technology. The EPSRC funded EMERGENCE Healthcare Technologies Network+ are hosting an interactive workshop for companies and organisations involved in the development of intelligent and robotic systems for frailty from 10:00 – 16:00 on Tuesday 4th June 2024 at the National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University.

During the workshop, participants will:

• Review current thinking on existing technology
• Co-design use cases and potential solutions
• Gain hands-on exploration of sensors and robots in a living lab
• Consider risks, ethical issues and CPD requirements

Master’s Scholarships in Digital Health and Care

DHI is excited to offer scholarships for Master’s studies in Digital Health and Care, funded by the Scottish Funding Council. The program is designed to support 14.5 full-time equivalent students starting their courses in September 2024 or January 2025, with each scholarship valued at £7,775. These scholarships are an excellent opportunity for aspiring professionals in digital health and care to advance their education and career. Interested candidates must submit their expressions of interest by the end of May and complete their applications by 30th June 2024.

Usher Institute welcomes Interim Director

Professor Julie Jacko has been appointed by Vice Principal and Head of College, Professor David Argyle, to serve as Interim Director of the Usher Institute as Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh takes up his new appointment at the University of Oxford. Julie joined the Usher Institute in September 2023 as Co-Head of the Centre for Medical Informatics and Chair of Health Informatics and Data Science and is already a much-valued member of the Usher community.

Venture Builder Incubator (VBI) 5.0 – Applications open!

The University of Edinburgh’s Venture Builder Incubator (VBI) 5.0 is now accepting applications from postgraduate students, academic staff, and UK-based oncology researchers. This five-month hybrid programme offers a unique opportunity to join Edinburgh’s vibrant start-up ecosystem. Participants will gain access to expert mentorship, investor networks, and a share of £100,000 in funding, focusing on commercialising innovative, data-driven ideas. Our partnership with Cancer Research Horizons supports up to 10 oncology-focused founders and now extends to Health & Social Care with special slots reserved for these fields. Apply by 10th June 2024 to transform your project into a potential start-up.

Spinout tech firm to focus on lung cancer

Lung cancer could be spotted and treated more quickly thanks to a €12m investment in cutting-edge technology that promises to diagnose and treat diseased tissue in a single procedure.
This investment launches Prothea Technologies Ltd, a spinout company from the Universities of Edinburgh and Bath, following 10 years of cross-discipline research on lung disease at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Inflammation Research and other partners.

Data-driven innovation as the next frontier in healthcare

Covering about 1 million patients in the Lothian region of Scotland, the DataLoch is one of the largest single repositories of health data in the country. Funded by the University of Edinburgh’s Data-Driven Innovation Initiative, DataLoch contains routinely collected de-identified data. One researcher who has been working with this resource is Peter Gallacher, a Health Informatics Researcher by day and Trainee GP by night. Gallacher explains how collaborating with the DataLoch service has been invaluable in linking datasets across pharmacy, GP, and hospital settings, thanks to it combining primary and secondary care records and combining data across an entire population of patients, irrespective of their age, sex, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

Healthcare innovations require collaboration and support

Innovation offers a gateway to doing more with less – in essence, working smarter. Sometimes an effective digital solution already exists and is readily available, but looked at with a fresh mindset, it can be utilised to produce improved patient outcomes or help to identify where more efficient practices could be integrated. NHS staff with innovation ambitions are typically balancing their job with other commitments and often do not have the time or full entrepreneurial skillset required to take their ideas from evaluation right through to implementation and commercialisation. That is where the right collaborative expertise, experience, and education comes in. Find out more about how organisations such as InnoScot Health can provide support.

Free webinar on AI in Healthcare: IP and Commercialisation

The next webinar in formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health’s educational series will be analysing the significant impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on healthcare and how innovators should best maximise and protect its benefits. The free to join ‘lunch & learn’ session taking place at 12pm on 29th May 2024 is entitled AI in Healthcare: IP and commercialisation and will provide expansive insights on where Scottish healthcare is already deploying AI, where longer-term ambitions lie, and how to roll out innovations in this area. It will also offer legal perspectives on how best to protect the intellectual property inherent in innovative new ideas that include fast evolving AI technologies.

Scotland’s Health and Social Care Data Strategy – First Year Update

The Scottish Government and COSLA have published a first-year update to the Data Strategy for Health and Social Care, highlighting progress made and priorities since the launch of the Strategy in February 2023. The Strategy set out the key elements for ensuring that data is managed and used consistently and securely, to improve the care and wellbeing of people in Scotland.  The update sets out progress in the first year and is based on regular discussions with delivery partners and stakeholders, reiterating the agreed approach in achieving the safe, secure and consistent use of data across Scotland’s health and care systems.

Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2024 to 2025

The Scottish Government has published an update for 2024 to 2025 to the national digital health and care strategy’s delivery plan which describes activities supporting Health Boards, HSCPs, local authorities, primary care, social care, social work, and care providers to offer new or improved services.

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak on the Catapult Network’s ‘Supercharging Innovation’ Podcast

Chief Scientist for Health Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak was invited by the Catapult Network to share her thoughts on how to evolve UK healthcare with science, innovation, and technology. Episode four of the ‘Supercharging Innovation’ podcast investigates the evolution of UK healthcare, with panellists discussing UK leadership, common barriers to translation and adoption of health innovation and how the UK ‘moves the dial’ from treatment to prevention.

British Heart Foundation Healthcare Innovation Fund 2024/25 Application Process Open

Through the Healthcare Innovation Fund, British Heart Foundation (BHF) is seeking to test and evaluate innovative approaches to the delivery of improved services for patients with cardiovascular disease. By innovative approaches we mean the application of an idea that is not considered to be routine practice elsewhere in the NHS. The BHF are seeking applications on ideas that have been:

• scoped by an appropriate group of stakeholders and are ready to be tested and evaluated in practice or,
• tested locally by an appropriate group of stakeholders and are ready for early stage of scaling.

Applications must be support by an NHS Scotland Innovation Hub. Applications close at 12noon on Monday, 12th June 2024.

Invention for Innovation - Product Development Awards Call 28

The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme invites proposals to Call 28 of its researcher-led Product Development Awards (PDA). The i4i PDA supports collaborative research and development of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for use in the NHS or social care systems. PDA are researcher-led and aim to de-risk innovations, supporting early product development and real-world evaluation, to make them more attractive for follow-on funding and further commercial investment. Projects must have demonstrated proof-of-concept as a minimum, which is generally described as TRL3. The stage 1 deadline for Product Development Awards Call 28 is 1pm on 29th May 2024.

MDMC Annual Conference 2024

Join the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) for the highly anticipated 3rd Annual Conference on Thursday 23rd May 2024 from 9:30 – 16:00. This exclusive event brings together key players from the industry, NHS, and academia for discussions on the cutting-edge services shaping the life sciences and healthcare sector. Explore unique insights into NHS and Scottish government initiatives, discover the innovative services offered by MDMC, and stay ahead with the latest advancements from industry leaders. Whether you’re seeking the newest MedTech updates or valuable tips for business growth, seize this unparalleled opportunity to network with fellow professionals, companies, and stakeholders within the vibrant Scottish life sciences and healthcare community.

Secure your FREE place at Public Sector Digital Transformation 2024

Holyrood Connect’s 11th annual flagship Digital Transformation event for the Scottish Public Sector will be returning on 11th June 2024, at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The trend of digital transformation shows no sign of slowing as more and more organisations across Scotland shift their systems to digital.

During the event, you will hear from senior government speakers and thought leaders within the public sector to learn about the progress of the Digital Strategy for Scotland. You will also hear engaging discussions surrounding the shifting landscape of public sector organisations and the foundations needed for a successful digital transition.

Latest funding opportunities

Check out all the latest health and care funding opportunities from across the sector on the funding section of our website.